Margo Alice Forrest never married. She never had children. She lived alone in her mother's house in Afton, MN, and kept to herself. But Forrest always knew that if she needed help, she could call on deputies from the Washington County (MN) Sheriff's Office.
Forrest, who died in June 2008 at age 69, remembered those deputies' good deeds in her will, giving half of the money in her estate — $101,191 — to the sheriff's office. She said it was to be used for the benefit of the officers who patrol Afton, reports the Pioneer Press.
The Washington County Board recently approved using the bequest to build a sheriff's substation east of Afton City Hall. It will include a garage and office.
The county will give the city $100,000 to use the substation for 20 years, and the city will provide any money necessary to complete the project, said Mayor Richard Bend.
Bend said he did not know Forrest but was thankful for her gift.
"We are extremely appreciative for her generosity to Afton," Bend said. "And we're grateful for the sheriff's deputies and the (Lower St. Croix Valley) fire department for taking such great care of our elderly residents."
